Introducing Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface debuts today at a Wall Street conference.  Surface is a table that integrates a 30-inch display allowing one or more simultaneous users to interact directly with images on the screen. Users can paint with their fingers, move and resize items like photographs, and manipulate content—all without touching a mouse or a keyboard.  Check out this demo.

Microsoft says this new technology can create new situations, such as ordering a beverage during a meal with just the tap of a finger or quickly browsing through music and dragging favorite songs onto a personal play list by moving a finger across the screen.

Surface also features the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes.
A customer can set a CD on the surface and it would recognize the item, give you all the info plus suggestions on additional accompanying purchases.  The example on the demo was really cool.  In a restaurant setting, the menu comes to life allowing patrons to drag and drop whatever they want by pressing the images displayed on Surface. 

Price points will be high and will be a road block for most people.  Just keep my 5 year old away from Surface.  From the way he likes to beat on things, the restaurant check could be higher than the technology.

Comments

[David Moyes]

Bob, read your reply on Crush the Turtle, amazing.

I read a rather critical article of the new Microsoft Surface, from one of my investing subscription services (realmoney.com), thought you would enjoy it.

"Oh my, Microsoft (MSFT) has really lost it this time. Now it has a flat touch-screen computer you can put on a table that allows you to order from restaurants and forward rewards points to casinos.

How was I able to live without this device? How have I managed to exist? And I only have to pay $5,000 to $10,000 for it?
They are practically giving away this unique device. I guess I better start queuing up to get one.

Can someone tell me how Microsoft came up with this unneeded device, even as a device I don't want to live without -- an iPhone -- beckons?
Even the possibility that I might have to switch to what I regard as an inferior wireless carrier to get the iPhone doesn't deter me.
But a flat-screen computer embedded in a desk? Well, I'll be. Does it connect wirelessly, remotely, with my Zune? Can I use it to play with my Nintendo Wii?

People wonder why Microsoft's stock has essentially done nothing for years and years, despite special dividends and buybacks and regular dividends.
I have the answer: devices like these, which tell me that Microsoft has too much money and not enough insight into the American consumer -- although the Xbox does give Wii somewhat of a run for its money.

Devices like these and the buy of aQuantive (AQNT) for $6 billion rather than a buy of Yahoo! (YHOO) for $35 billion (about all that company would have cost a half a year ago) or for a pittance just six years ago after the viscous Nazz selloff.

So watch Microsoft's stock creep ever higher -- 30 cents up, 29 cents back. Or look at Apple (AAPL), which is up huge in the time that Microsoft's been stagnant because it actually is innovative and makes products that people want!